The Old Rag Quandary

April 30, 2023

When I was researching various trails in Shenandoah, the one that came up most frequently was Old Rag.

It’s definitely got a reputation as being an incredible trail (Outside magazine lists it as one of the best 25 hikes in the world.) Not just in the US, in the world.

For weeks prior to our trip, I debated whether we could do this trail. I went back and forth a lot. I ended up purchasing two Day-Use tickets (there’s currently an Old Rag Pilot program that limits the trail to 800 visitors per day).

The Day-Use tickets are cheap ($1 each), so I got enough for two days… just in case. I wasn’t sure if we would attempt this hike, but wanted the option.

After doing a bit more research and looking up various videos, I landed on us not attempting the hike. There’s a version that takes you to Old Rag via the Fire Road, but overall I felt like this particular hike would have been a big stretch for us.

Here are a few videos I saw that looked incredible, but also made me feel we should take a pass (this time):

I’m glad we eased into our hiking. And I think the trails that we picked were appropriate for us, especially given how sedentary our lifestyle has been of late. Old Rag would have been incredible, but I think it also would have wrecked us (with a non-zero chance of us rolling an ankle or needing some type of rescue).

As much as I wish we could have tackled this trail, I’m glad we didn’t. Something to add to the list, for next time.

shenandoah video

« Courage and Conviction

Where is Everybody? Probably Hill Valley »